Victorian Dundee: Image and Realities

Christopher A. Whatley, Bob Harris, and Louise Miskell

Abstract

This book reveals aspects of Victorian Dundee that have been hidden from history. It looks behind the traditional view of Dundee in this period as a grim industrial town marred by social deprivation and riven by workplace conflict. It shows that this image of the city was only part of the story and explains how the town provided regular work and better wages than were available in the countryside (many of the town's inhabitants were migrants). It details how Dundee's working people enjoyed spending money as well as earning it and how they were able to enjoy a range of social amenities such as ... More

This book reveals aspects of Victorian Dundee that have been hidden from history. It looks behind the traditional view of Dundee in this period as a grim industrial town marred by social deprivation and riven by workplace conflict. It shows that this image of the city was only part of the story and explains how the town provided regular work and better wages than were available in the countryside (many of the town's inhabitants were migrants). It details how Dundee's working people enjoyed spending money as well as earning it and how they were able to enjoy a range of social amenities such as the town's grand parks. It shows how the town's textile production was accompanied by a strong sense of civic pride, some remarkable architectural triumphs and, perhaps surprising, an enthusiasm for public and private art. It is an extended and revised edition of Victorian Dundee: Image and Realities, which was published in 2000, and goes further than the first edition in challenging myth-history. It includes two new chapters: one on the development and desecration of Dundee's ancient waterfront; the other reveals who Dundee's local heroes were.